Tuba profiles and the esteemed Dr Bevan's Tuba Bible

[2ba4t]

I would love to learn about the different bugle profiles of different instruments from mouthpipe to bell and the real difference they make. Any knowledge out there??

Dr Bevan's ultimate Tuba Bible** deals with this profile question of course (pp189 et al) And, just for this topic, see the Moritz 1838 Basstuba with its longer mouthpipe on p 205 and the facing profile drawings.

I remember meeting an American in the Bayreuth staff restaurant in the early Jurrasic era [1972/3??] who worked for Hirschbrunner. He was just back from torturing a new CC tuba by stringing out straight the entire poor instrument inside an aircraft hangar in Switzerland!! I asked him how they could reach the valves. He did not laugh but explained very patiently about profile and silhouettes and taper and tuning slides before and after the valve block. I could see the point, but it was definitely not science but rather an empirical experiment.

**Every serious tuba player must, of course, learn this off by heart, the ultimate book on the tuba. Everyone must buy and read it at least 100 times: It should be required reading for all students. If you have not read it you simply do not know where you are coming from or going to. Dr Clifford Bevan's 'The Tuba Family', http://http://www.piccolopress.info/tuba_family.htm" target="_blank" target="_blank" £35 - $45 .
[Again, never ever buy this from the evil, disgusting criminals who sell it for ridiculous prices online. Buy direct online from the learned Dr - Piccolo Press] (Disclaimer: I have no connection whatsoever with Dr Bevan.)

[Rick Denney]

I would love to learn about the different bugle profiles of different instruments from mouthpipe to bell and the real difference they make. Any knowledge out there??

It depends on what you want to learn. If you want to learn how the acoustics of those profiles work, then I suggest Horns, Strings and Harmony by Arthur Benade (if you are allergic to math), The Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics (also by Benade, and requiring a bit of math), and The Physics of Musical Instruments by Fletcher and Rossing (the proper textbook on the subject). Fletcher and Rossing is the most interesting, particularly in looking at how the speed of sound changes in a conical bore, but, while not written for physicists, still requires a willingness to take on some math to be fully understand. All of these go far beyond Bevan.

If you want data on profiles of actual instruments, good luck with that.

Rick "who has all of the above including both editions of Bevan's book" Denney

[roweenie]

Every serious tuba player must, of course, learn this off by heart, the ultimate book on the tuba. Everyone must buy and read it at least 100 times: It should be required reading for all students. If you have not read it you simply do not know where you are coming from or going to.

Wow, I wondered why my life had no direction before now